Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Workforce Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
New Albany council backs $5 million commitment to statewide biomanufacturing training center
Summary
Council approved a resolution enabling the city to enter an agreement with the Ohio Life Science Institute to host a biomanufacturing workforce training center in New Albany; the city will commit $5 million over five years and JobsOhio has pledged $30 million to seed the initiative.
The New Albany City Council on March 3 adopted Resolution R-O-6-20-26 authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with the Ohio Life Science Institute (OLSI) to develop a biomanufacturing workforce training center. The council vote to adopt the resolution was 5–0.
Staff described the center as a statewide resource that will be anchored in New Albany at the CVG facility on Malton Parkway, repurposing vacant R&D space and creating training tracks in partnership with universities, community colleges, technical schools and local K–12 partners. "Our total commitment is $5,000,000 over 5 years for the development and long term success of the training center," staff said during the presentation. JobsOhio has committed $30,000,000 to seed and scale the initiative, and OLSI is pursuing an additional $5–$10 million in fundraising.
Presentation materials noted the center is intended to address employer concerns about workforce supply in Central Ohio’s growing biotech and pharmaceutical cluster; staff cited multiple recent facility announcements and expansions and said more than a third of regional biotech announcements are in New Albany. The facility’s location near major roads and transit was identified as an amenity for employer access and student commutes.
Staff emphasized the program’s workforce focus: the center is being designed to create career pathways that allow high‑school graduates to enter biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing careers without requiring a traditional four‑year college degree. Employers will help shape curriculum and program tracks. The city will hold a seat on the OLSI board and disbursements are conditioned on performance benchmarks in the agreement.
The resolution passed after staff opened and then closed the public hearing with no public comment. With the resolution adopted, staff can finalize and execute the agreement and begin coordination with industry and education partners on program design and facility fit-out.
